Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday gave President Mohammadu Buhari one month to approve his earlier application to procure weapons for the state’s security outfit, Community Volunteer Guards or he will invoke the wrath of the people to take another action.
Besides, the governor also hinted of his administration’s readiness to convert the security outfit into State Police through appropriate legislation. Ortom stated this at the passing out parade of batch B of the Community Volunteer Guards at the Ibrahim Babangida Square in Makurdi.
“I have on behalf of the state government applied to the responsible federal government agency for approval to procure automatic weapons particularly AK 47 assault riffles to further strengthen the logistic support base and defense capacity of the Community Volunteer Guards. I am still awaiting approval from the federal government to deal accordingly.
“I have given the federal government one month to approve the application otherwise I will call the people of the state and tell them, whatever they say I should do I will do accordingly. “The state governments are working with the federal government of Nigeria towards moving from community policing to state police. When this eventually becomes a reality, we will give the current Community Volunteer Guards the pre-emptive rights to join the state police.
That is the first right to refusal”. Ortom who lamented the continuous attack and killing of the people by armed terrorists herdsmen, said the state government has already procured some essential equipment as permitted by the law and handed them over to the police for use by the Community Volunteer Guards for effective crime fighting.
